With me poetry has been not a purpose, but a passion; and the passions should be held in reverence: they must not — they cannot at will be excited, with an eye to the paltry compensations, or the more paltry commendations, of mankind.
Bio: Richard Nordquist is an American author. His works include Writing Exercises and Passages: A Writer's Guide both "grammar and composition textbooks for college freshmen".
